Monday Monday

 Here it is Monday evening already.  So much has been going on I kind of got behind in reading and writing.  Thank you all for your kind words on my last few posts. You always know how to make me smile!  

Have any of you seen the two bright lights in the eastern skies early in the morning before dawn lately?  This was what we saw here yesterday morning...hubby woke me up to tell me about it around 5:15 a.m.  I was actually sleeping quite well, and to be honest I wasn't thrilled at first to be awakened so unexpectedly. 

I had to go out on the front porch in my nightie to take these photos.  Good thing it was dark.

Actually, he wanted me to see these lights because he thought they might be UFO's...so of course I had to look it up online to find out what they really could be...

https://www.youtube.com/live/D5LyCJAoDcg?si=UyDb8KrX0vdq_uIx is a good explanation.  It is Jupiter and Venus, and apparently tomorrow morning (August 12th) will be the final day to see them, and they will appear to be almost together (conjoined) as one.  If you have a telescope or a really good camera, set your alarm and get up and take some pictures for us, okay?  I tried to see them again this morning, but it was too cloudy to see much.

I was glad to be able to tell him they weren't UFO's.  I think he was disappointed. LOL.

Also we have had a lovely full moon this past week. I took this picture at the same time as the other pictures yesterday morning, but of course this was looking into the West, as the moon was setting over Still Waters Pond.  

So that was yesterday's big event, along with going to church, which is always a blessing.  If you want to hear the message and our choir's song, here it is. The music was recorded in February and shared again here since we are still off on our summer break from singing.  The song is "Be Thou My Vision", and the message is from John 15:1-17,"The Vine and The Branches".  It was a good message.

  So, what else is new?  Let me think...the good news is, we were able to get a copy of hubby's lab work from the tests he took last week at Quest, and from what we can tell everything looks very good.  His appointment with the neurologist isn't until next month, so I am glad we could see the results before then and know that there isn't anything terrible on it. We give thanks to the Lord for that good news. Still don't know exactly what is wrong, but hubby seems to be feeling a bit better day by day, so we will just be very thankful and trust God to take care of whatever it is.

Now, here's something you're going to probably go, What? You did What???  I'm sure most of you will remember my post not too long ago about getting a new chair/recliner. If not, here it is for your review.  We all oohed and aahed about the new chair, especially the wonderful feature of massage and heat. Yeah, I loved that part...it really was nice.  But what I never told you in subsequent posts was that the chair itself just wasn't all that comfortable.  I tried my best to make it work, but the upper part--the back of the chair, was built in such a way that it slanted back too far when in the upright position.  When I was sitting up straight I could not feel the chair on my back at all, and I had to put big pillows behind me to fill the gap. I tried my best to make it work, but except for when laying down in the reclining position, I could not get comfortable in that chair. I have back issues already, and that is why I needed the new chair in the first place. But, remember, I ordered it online, and I never actually sat in it before I got it! If I had sat in it beforehand, I would never have bought that chair!  

The good news was that I had 30 days to return the chair if it was unsatisfactory.  Of course, that meant that we had to take it to the nearest Home Depot and they would ship it back where it came from. So after a couple of weeks of trying to make it work, I finally decided that I could not live with that chair. It was causing me more problems than it was helping. I loved the massage and heat, but I couldn't stay in that position forever. So we made the decision to take it back to Home Depot and go look for another chair at a local furniture store. Thankfully our son has a truck and was willing and able to take it to the store for us.

I actually tried a couple of different furniture stores, and I literally sat in every single recliner they had...well, at least the ones in my pre-determined price range.  Sadly, neither store had any chairs with the wonderful massage feature at a price I could afford. The chair I had purchased online was a very good deal, and I soon discovered that I would not be able to replace it at that same price anywhere, so I had to pay a little more for a chair without the massage/heat feature, but one that was actually comfortable to sit in. That was the sacrifice I was willing to make in order to be comfortable.  I found the chair that was the best fit for me last week, and of course they had to actually order it instead of giving me the floor model.  Today was the day for it to arrive at the store.  We opted to pick it up ourselves rather than pay an additional $100.00 to have it delivered. Thankfully our son was willing to pick it up and brought it home and set it up for us today....and here it is:

(that's my OLD OLD green chair in the background. We haven't taken it to the thrift store yet, because we were waiting for this chair to arrive. Now it can go with my blessings!!)

This chair is very comfortable, and hugs my back in all the right places. No,  there's no massage/heat, but because the chair actually fits my body in all the right places, I don't need those features!  I am very pleased and thankful!!!  Oh, and the color of the chair is called "Recruit Fudge".  I can lay there and dream about the fudge that I'm not allowed to eat. LOL!

The moral of this story is don't ever order a piece of furniture that you need for comfort online, unless you can find a place to actually sit in the same chair somewhere first and make sure it is comfortable!  Thankfully Home Depot's online return policy was generous and we had no problems returning it and getting our money back. But what a hassle...especially for our son who has had to do all the manual labor in this situation. He sure is a good sport!!

Here's some words of wisdom for today from James 1:2-5

"2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 

3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 

4 But let patience have its perfect work, 

that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, 

who gives to all liberally and without reproach, 

and it will be given to him."

Amen!

Have a blessed rest of your week!

Saturday Revue

 Is it really Saturday?  What happened To Friday?  I totally meant to post something yesterday, but like I mentioned in a previous post, the week seemed to be filled with delays, and yesterday was one of them. What I had hoped to write about earlier in the day never happened until too late in the day to sit down and concentrate and write, so it had to be delayed until today, and now it's getting late in this day too! LOL.

I've had chairs on my mind this week...and while thinking about chairs, this picture came to my mind,  as illustrated by Mary Englebreit for her book "Life is Just a Chair of Bowlies"...

Internet Photo...by Mary Engelbreit

I was going to attempt to explain it, but Google AI had the answers already there for us:

"People also ask:
What is the meaning of chair of bowlies?
AI Overview:

"The phrase "chair of bowlies" is a playful misinterpretation of the idiom "life is just a bowl of cherries." It suggests that life is filled with easy, pleasant experiences, like being served food in a bowl, implying comfort and ease. It's often used in a humorous or slightly sarcastic way to contrast with the reality that life can be challenging and not always easy."

Hubby being served pie, not in a bowl, but on a paper plate, on Father's Day, while sitting in his favorite chair.

Talking about life being full of challenges, and not just like a bowl of cherries (by the way, that was blueberry pie, not cherry), this past Sunday hubby was having a bad day physically and even though we went to church, he needed help getting out to the car and into the house afterwards.  The kids were all here for lunch, and although he went straight to bed, he got up a while later and ate something and sat in his chair.  The problem is, he was having difficulty getting up and down out of his chair, which is an extra large recliner.  I don't know how many years he has had this chair, but more than ten I am pretty sure.  So, the kids started talking about maybe he needed a new chair, one that lifts.  I started looking them up and trying to find an extra large chair that lifts, etc., but hubby said that he really didn't want a new chair. He thinks his old chair is just fine. And he definitely doesn't think he's ready for a "lift chair".   And yes, even though the doctor appointment this past week and review of his lab tests didn't show any major issues, nonetheless, he still has some issues that need to be figured out. It didn't help that he told the doctor that he "felt just fine" while we were there, so the doctor didn't see any need to refer him to anyone else...but since then he hasn't felt "just fine", and we may be going back to discuss things next week.

But in the meantime, while looking at the recliners online, I mentioned that my old chair is getting rather worn out and that it is causing me a lot of back issues because the seat is sinking and the chair just doesn't properly support my arthritic back anymore.

You've seen this picture before in a previous post about where I like to sit and read:

Yes, on the surface it still looks pretty good, but internally it is breaking down and if you could see me when I try to get up and stand up after sitting for about a half hour or so, you'd think something was really wrong.  I started calculating how long we've had that chair, and to the best of my recollections, we bought it USED around 15 years ago. It was in pretty good shape then, but that was then, and this is now, and lately I've had to add a stiffer seat cushion under me as well as a back cushion. 

So, after further discussion, it was determined that I should look for a chair for me instead! Okay, that sounded like a good plan!  Rather than shopping in various furniture stores (where the prices are usually a bit higher), I started searching online. My sweet dil Rose, who works at Home Depot, said that you can actually order recliners through Home Depot online, and they will deliver them to your house! (Free delivery too!)  So my search began...and for the record, I was also looking for an extra large chair for hubby too, but the more I looked, the more I realized he really needs to go sit in a chair and make sure it fits him. He is tall and has a large frame, and the chairs I was seeing just didn't look like they were going to fit him even though they claimed to be "oversized".  

However, I did finally narrow it down to one chair for me that was on sale at a very good price, and it even has lumbar heat and massage up and down the back!  Now that's something I would love! So after hem-hawing around and checking every option, I finally took the plunge and ordered the chair for me. They said it would be delivered on Thursday, which was fine, because originally hubby's Dr. appointment was scheduled for Wednesday, so we didn't have any other commitments on Thursday. Then the doctor's office called and said they had to postpone his appointment until Thursday...so...we called our son asked him if he could stay at the house while we went to the doctor in case the chair was delivered...which he said he would.  THEN, the Home Depot delivery people sent us a text saying that the delivery was being delayed and wouldn't come until FRIDAY! So, good, that meant that Benton wouldn't have to come wait for it because we would be here on Friday!

Friday came, and the tracking for the delivery said the chair was on it's way. Of course, they didn't say what time they would arrive, so of course we were tied down to the house all day waiting.  Finally at about 3:30 p.m. we heard a door slam outside and rushed to the door to welcome the delivery people, however, they were actually getting back IN the truck and driving away!  I started waving my arms at them to come back, and then I noticed that they had placed the chair (in a very heavy, large square box) on the ground at the foot of the steps to our porch! What??? They call that "delivery???"   I couldn't believe my eyes!

Thankfully, our son lives pretty close by, and so I called him and told him what had happened, and he came right over and managed to get the heavy, awkward box up the steps and onto the porch.  However, it would not fit through the front door.  So we had to open the box on the porch and take the chair out, which was in sections, and bring it inside and figure out how to put it all together!  There's NO WAY hubby and I could've done that by ourselves! It was a major job, and we are SO thankful for our strong young son who was available and able to figure it out (although it did take some doing, for sure!), and finally the chair was in place and ready for me to try it out:

|

Ahhhhh.....

Let me tell you, that massage and heat sure felt good!

Now, let me say that I am very thankful for this chair already. Last night I sat in it and read my book for over an hour without getting up. I used the massager for a few minutes before getting up, and when I stood up, I had absolutely no problem standing up straight and walking! I practically jumped for joy! I've not been able to do that for a LONG time!!! So, was it worth all the hassle and delays and craziness? Yes, it was.    

But a few words of wisdom...if you are going to order a chair online and have it "delivered" to your house, make sure you have someone strong and smart who can help you get it inside and set it up.  I think we could've paid extra to have someone do that, but it never occurred to us that they wouldn't even bring it up the 5 steps to our porch and at least knock on the door to let us know they were there!  

And btw, my old chair is going to be donated to our church thrift shop. Maybe someone can get some more use out of it, or they may know how to make the necessary repairs to tighten up the seat and make it last another 15 years.  I hope so. 

Furthermore, I am still on the lookout for a new chair for hubby, but I've convinced him that he really needs to go to a store and try them out first. And then we will let them deliver it and set it up for us, even if we have to pay for it to be done, it's worth it.

Psalm 16:5-6, 11

5 "O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;

You maintain my lot.

6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;

Yes, I have a good inheritance.

11 You will show me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

The End.

(Thank you to Mary Englebreit for her brilliant inspiration!)